Re: property dialogs

[Marc Ewing <marc redhat com>]

Bruce Dodson <bruce_d@istar.ca> writes:
> Refering to the User Interface Hall Of Fame/Shame (the link is on the
> GNOME home page), I see a very reasoned argument against Microsoft's
> Apply button.  Basically, it says that the most common use of the Apply
> button is for previewing, and it is useless for that because, once you
> hit apply, the changes can't be undone (except manually).  This matches
> my own usage of that button.  I also remember an early Windows 95
> tutorial, published in a prominent magazine, which said that if you
> "Apply" but then "Cancel" your changes _are_ undone.  This was
> incorrect, but it does support the Shame/Fame peoples' assertion, which
> is that the intuitive action for the button between "OK" and "Cancel" is
> for previewing your changes.
> 
> Therefore, I suggest that GNOME should use something like this:
> 
> <OK/Accept> <Preview/Test> <Cancel>
> 
> *The first button applies any changes and closes the dialog.
> *The second attempts to show the user what would happen if the changes
> were applied. Sometimes that will not be possible, in which case this
> button will not be present.
> *The third button cancels any changes and closes the dialog.

I like this a *lot*.  I think it is clear for all users, and allows
them to do what they want.

-Marc